How You Can Send Donations to Puerto Rico

On Tuesday, September 19th, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, just days after Hurricane Irma brushed against the island.

The hurricane is now known as the strongest to directly hit the territory since 1928 (Hurricane Okeechobee).

At least 10 people have died since Hurricane Maria made landfall.

Over a week has passed since the storm hit, and residents in Puerto Rico are in dire need of aid.

Experts have predicted that it could take the island months to recover from the devastation.

With word reaching the United States mainland quickly, several charities and non-profit organizations are gathering donations to send to Puerto Rico.

To relieve some stress on families in New Jersey, on Tuesday, September 26th, New Jersey Governor Christie opened a hotline for residents to try and find out information on relatives. The toll-free hotline provides assistance in both English and Spanish.

Higher Places Ministries — The church, located in Vineland (40 West Landis Avenue), is accepting donations of all types, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Members of the church have relatives on the island, and recognize that Cumberland County has a large Puerto Rican population, and want to help in any way possible.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, Inc. — The non-profit organization announced on Thursday, September 21st, in conjunction with the broader Catholic Charities U.S.A. network, 100% of all donations will go directly to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Jennifer Lopez — Actress, singer, and dancer Jennifer Lopez donated $1 million to relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands. Lopez, born in Bronx, N.Y., is of Puerto Rican decent. The singer-actress made the announcement along with N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo in a Facebook Live video.

Major League Baseball (MLB) — In the MLB, players such as Alex Rodriguez, Ray Allen Mañana, and David Ortiz are raising money via EventBrite for victims of hurricanes Maria and Irma.

Facebook — Want to know if your Facebook friends are safe in Puerto Rico, or send a notification asking them to mark themselves as safe? Facebook has activated its Safety Check tool for the areas affected by Hurricane Maria.

Google — In addition to Facebook's Safety Check tool, Google activated its Person Finder page where people can either look for others, or send out information about people. The page is available in Spanish and English.

Salvation Army of Puerto Rico— The Salvation Army of Puerto Rico posted on Facebook, in Spanish, that they are working around the clock to send donations to families affected by Hurricane Maria. They have also released a bank account number where people can forward their donations to.

Cumberland County College — The Las Vias and Latin American Club at Cumberland County College are collecting donations, in partnership with Higher Places Ministries, to deliver aid to Puerto Rico. The two clubs are receiving donations by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3rd to make shipment time. Any and all sorts of donations are accepted. Click here for details.

Coca-Cola Company — The beverage corporation released a statement on Tuesday, September 26th, that the global company, Mexico and Latin Center locations, as well as the Coca-Cola Foundation is pledging over $4 million to Hurricane Maria relief efforts. The company is following its previous support from hurricanes Irma and Harvey, and extending out to Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and other Caribbean nations.

GoFundMe — The for-profit crowdfunding organization is making it easier for people to donate to several campaigns at once.

APCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)— The non-profit organization is making sure that the furry friends are receiving the same help. The disaster response team, at the request of FEMA, was deployed to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to help rescue and recover pets that were displaced during the hurricane.

In addition to sending a team of responders, the ASPCA has provided three 53-foot trailers filled with pet supplies including food, wire crates, and other essential items for FEMA to send to the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Croix and Puerto Rico, over the next few days.

DONATING VIA PHONE

If you have a smartphone, you can send donations in a variety of ways. Standard messaging and data rates may apply.

Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief

Want to check on loved ones? Call 877-976-2400.

Want to send a donation via UNICEF? Call 1-(800)-367-5437

This article will be updated periodically with charities as additional information comes in.

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